Predictive policing of minors

By Thomas Vink, 14th November 2022

The “Top 400” programme in Amsterdam profiles minors and young adults to predict the 400 most likely to commit serious crimes. This programme is problematic because it disproportionately targets marginalised youth based on biased criteria such as where they live and who they are friends with. There are also concerns about the invasive monitoring of people that have done nothing wrong and the sharing of data between police and health care professionals.

PILP completed pre-litigation research showing that the Top 400 programme is built on surveillance, policing and stigmatisation of children and their families. In addition, they consider it discriminatory because it is disproportionally directed at lower class children who are not white (PILP’s research shows that only 11% of the children in the programme are white).

PILP is looking at the Top 400 on behalf of and together with several NGOs, journalists and researchers. PILP and its partners are currently meeting with people affected by the Top 400 to see what this community needs and to explore the possibilities of possible strategic proceedings.

Predictive policing of minors

Organisation Name

Public Interest Litigation Project (PILP – NJCM)

Country/Jurisdiction

The Netherlands

Amount Granted

Pre-litigation: EUR 24,781

Current Status

Research complete

Grant type

Pre-litigation Research Support

Description

The “Top 400” programme in Amsterdam profiles minors and young adults to predict the 400 most likely to commit serious crimes. This programme is problematic because it disproportionately targets marginalised youth based on biased criteria such as where they live and who they are friends with. There are also concerns about the invasive monitoring of people that have done nothing wrong and the sharing of data between police and health care professionals.

PILP completed pre-litigation research showing that the Top 400 programme is built on surveillance, policing and stigmatisation of children and their families. In addition, they consider it discriminatory because it is disproportionally directed at lower class children who are not white (PILP’s research shows that only 11% of the children in the programme are white).

PILP is looking at the Top 400 on behalf of and together with several NGOs, journalists and researchers. PILP and its partners are currently meeting with people affected by the Top 400 to see what this community needs and to explore the possibilities of possible strategic proceedings.

"PILP completed pre-litigation research showing that the Top 400 programme is built on surveillance, policing and stigmatisation of children and their families."

Strategic Goal

To achieve more thoughtful and inclusive law and policy, both in the Netherlands and at the EU level, that will curtail the harms of predictive policing technology.

Organisation Name

Women’s Link Worldwide

Image credit: “VPRO/BALDR”

Image taken from the documentary ‘Mothers’ by Nirit Peled